Humidifier



W. G. MACY HUMIDIFIER Filed Nov April 15, 1941.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 15, 1941.

w. G. MACY 2,238,564

HUMIDIFIER' Filed Nov. 14, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 y wd@ Patented Apr. 15, 1941 HUIVIIDIFIER William G. Macy, Bloomington, Ill., assigner to & Furnace Company, Bloomington, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application November 14, 1938,` Serial No. 240,287 l American Foundry 2 Claims.

This invention relates to humidiers of the type usually associated with warm air heating furnaces and which are provided for the purpose of maintaining proper air humidity in the heated building.

Open tank humidiiiers in furnaces of this type are very old in the art and have been used with indifferent success for many years. Such devices fail of attaining satisfactory results by reason of one or more of the following faults: the surface area of the water being too small to be effective; water impurities forming scum on the water surface, preventing rapid evaporation; surface area of the water located improperly in relation to the air currents; and evaporator tank improperly located to heat properly. v

It will be appreciated that these factors are sharply variable under the widely different conditions met with in heating practice and, therefore, the problem which appears to be relatively simple on the surface is really quite involved and complicated when it is desired t control humidity within a reasonable range.

Various types of spray humidiflers have been developed, but many faults inherent in this type of apparatus, such as clogging of nozzles, variations inwater pressure, etc., make this type less desirablethan the simpler evaporator tank type when a proper structure and effective control means is available.

The particular object of this invention is to provide a simple evaporator tank type humidifier that may be controlled to maintain desired humidity conditions.

Another object is to provide a small evaporator tank humidifled of widely variable evaporation capacity, easily controllable by conventional control apparatus.

And a still further object is to provide a humidiiier apparatus that may be located conveniently in the best position in the furnace and in rm heat conduction contact with the heater in order to attain the most effective results.

In the accompanying drawings I show a preferred embodiment of my invention, but it will be readily appreciated that the principles involved can be adapted to many variations in structure.

Now referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a cross sectional side elevation view of a warm air furnace, showing my humidifier apparatus in position;

Fig. 2 is a broken perspective view of the humidiner apparatus as it appears looking angularly downward to better show the arrangement of the parts; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged partially broken elevation view of the humidifier apparatus showing the wiring, piping and control system somewhat diagrammatically. h

Now referring tov Fig. 1,11 show a general base member I0 on which is mounted a motor II driving a conventional blower I2 through a belt I3. This blower draws air downward throughan air cleaner 23 and around horizontal heater tubes IB, then drives it verticallyover theheater casing I4 and thence upwardthrough a conventional duct `distributing system (not shown). I. .y

As well illustrated, the combustion chamber` I4 is heated by any conventional burner means I5, the one shown being for a gas burner. The heat from the hot gases is absorbed throughtheribbed burner casing I4, the horizontal heater tubes I6 and the cast header I1 and then are conducted to the outside air through the stack I8.

The entire heater is encased in a conventional insulated sheet metal casing I9` which has various doors 20, 2l and 22 conveniently located for service, interior adjustments,.etc. y Y p As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, it will be noted that I mount or'set the evaporator pan 24 directly on top of the combustion chamber I4 with the contacting surfaces I4 and 24' in firm intimate conductioncontact, which is assisted, of course, by the weight of the tank 24 with the weight of its water content. This materially assists in evaporation efficiency because the evaporator pan is located not only in position to best absorb heat from the heater casing, it being in one of the hottest locations, but also because it is an excellent position to be evaporated into the upwardly-moving, heat-expanded air stream. Even when the blower is not in operation, the evaporator pan thus located will continuously give off water vapors which will be of material assistance in maintaining proper humidity in the building.

However, this location is especially effected in my construction in which I trap or induct almost any desired fraction of the upwardly moving air stream in air tubes 28 which are out angularly at the bottom to induct the air and to prevent resonance noises. This air is impinged downwardly on the surface of the water by elbows 29, and intimate agitated contact between the air and water is thus provided, and the surface of the water is continuously agitated in surface ripples. This action is not only effective because of this intimate impinged contact between the 4water and air but such action is further effective in preventing the formation of surface scum on the surface of the water which would greatly reduce the evaporation capacity of the tank. It will also be appreciated that this action effects thorough aeration and thus stagnation is prevented. With this explanation it will be understood how I attain unusually effective results with a relatively small apparatus.

It will be. further` appreciated that my tube and elbow air duct structure enables me toreadily adjust my :apparatus for variable results by selecting the proper number of tubes for my ap paratus. Also it gives me a standardized unit structure which is adaptable to a variety of lfurnace sizes and heating condition-s.

The evaporator tank 24 is .supplied'withwaten through a connector pipe 26 fromm-conventional supply tank 25 equipped with a goat valve 21.

This arrangement is so com-mon and'well un derstood that it will not `be described in detail.V

to the lower'desired level Whenfthe-valve 3| is a'gain :actuated and the'Wa-ter line opened. 'I'his operationis conventional and is believe-d to be well understood. The operation is effected electrically from "an electric circuit 35. Inasmuch as this arrangement is conventional, no further explanation is deemed necessary.

Again referringy to` Fig; 3, the burner I5, in this case a gasburner,v isserved 'by a gas pipe line 3S in which a solenoid control valve 33 is inserted. This valve is controlled by'a conventional .rthermostat 34` located Vat` any Aconvenient location and `actuates. the control of the electric circuit for. opening' or., closinggthe `valve v36 in response to variations in .temperature outside of the desi-red range. operation of the motor Il which'. drives the fan.l2.

From ,the foregoing description, it will be ap- -circuit also controls the #1" parent that I have provided .a simple evaporator tank type humidier of widely vari-able capacity that is easily and effectively controllable by conventional lcontrol apparatus and which is of such structure that it may be conveniently and economically installed in Warm air heating furnaces of various designs and capacities.

I claim:

1. In a humidifier fory warm air furnaces with air circulating fan, an evaporator tank adapted to be supported in intimate contact on top of the combustion chamber, water supply means within said tank, means to control said supply means rresponsive to humidity conditions, multiple verticalair ducts adjacent lthe combustion chamber to induce upwardly moving Warm air currentsfrom within the furnace and impinge same downwardV on the surface of the Water in the Yevaporator tank to cause agi-tation and preventformation of scum, .and fthermostatic, control means to control fan operation responsive to temperature conditions whereby humidity is supplied slowly by natural evaporation from4 the evaporator `tank when the lcirculating fan'is not in operation and rapidly when the fan operating.

2. In a humidifier for Warm air furnaces having :a convertible combustionv ychamber and horizontal heater tubes extending from said chamber; an evaporator tank adapted to be supported in intimate contact on top of fthe combustion` chamber, Water supply meanswithin said tank, means to control` said supply meansresponsive to humidity conditions, multiplevertical air ducts between the header tubes fandwadjacentthe combustion i chamber, said.. ductsbeing positioned to trap upwardlymoving aincurrents fromyvithin the. furnace, heat theair so trapped .and impinge same downward on the surface of the water in the evaporator tank to ycause agitation and prevent formation of scum, and .th'ermostatic control means to control fan operation responsive to temperature conditions whereby humidityi-s supplied slowly yby natural evaporation from the evaporator tank Ywhen the. circulating fan Yis not in operation andrapidl-y When the fan is operating..

WILLIAM- G. MACY. 

